Tag Archives: landscaping

5 Weekend Projects to Increase the Value of your Home

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The work week can get insanely busy. There’s no limit to what work might ask of you, and worst of all, when you finally get home, your energy is likely on empty. For most homeowners, the best time to get a project done is going to be the weekend but given the short amount of time available on Saturday and Sunday, its best to plan to maximize that time as efficiently as possible. Here are 5-weekend projects that increase the value of your home in the most noticeable way possible.

Landscaping

Nothing says more about your home than the look of the outside. A messy landscaping job can likely point to a messy interior, and that’s a major turn off should you ever decide to try and sell the home. Adding mulch and some plants around a mailbox could even be enough to increase the perspective value of your home, and larger projects only provide a larger return on investments.

Renovate the Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most highly noticeable changes that you can make to a home. The countertops alone could help boost the value of your home by a few thousand dollars. Not to mention, when selling a home, it is a huge buyer’s hotspot to check and see what condition the kitchen is in. Make the improvements now, for your sake, and the possibility of a sale in the future.

Make it Energy Efficient

Your home is likely losing value due to outdated heating and cooling tools. Not only could the actual system need an update, but the various things that keep cool and hot air in the house like windows and installation might need a tune-up too. A consultation could point you in the right direction and get your value up exponentially.

Have a Flexible Floor Plan

A flexible floor plan allows you to make any room in the house whatever you may want it to be. That ability to choose the layout is a big improvement over feeling like each room is already determined for you. If you ever choose to sell this could be a huge factor.

Update Technology

This one is just as much for you as it is your home. Updating things to provide a smart home technology experience is a great way to make home life easier. A Nest thermostat or Philips Hue lighting system could really make it feel like you are living in the future.

These changes make your home’s value skyrocket, and they’re easy to knock out in a weekend!

How to Keep Your Grass Green All Year!

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Having a lawn with healthy, green grass can make the difference in enjoying your outdoor living space, or avoiding it altogether! There are several easy ways to help maintain your green grass. Here are some tips from the experts at Lola’s Landscape to help you enjoy a green lawn all year round!

Be sure to choose a grass variety that works best in your yard

You may or may not be aware there are various types of grass. Different types of grass will grow best under particular conditions. There are types that thrive the best in cooler temperatures, and others that need more sunlight. A helpful tip for success is to determine the correct type of sod and figure out which varieties are appropriate for your area, and furthermore receive information about various types to help make a final variety of grass.

Test your soil

You should use a soil test kit to test your soil for things like nitrogen, phosphorus, and pH levels. Knowing this will help you discover any deficiencies that could possibly hinder you from attaining a healthy green lawn. There are certain products that can be added to boost your soil if it is missing key nutrients, thus creating an ideal environment for healthy grass. Mulching, leaving grass clippings on your lawn, keeps your soil moist and prevents weed growth as an environmentally friendly way to care for your grass if you do not want to use chemicals on your lawn.

Water thoroughly, but do not overwater

A common mistake among homeowners is overwatering the lawn. If you are starting a lawn from the seed you will water it often because it will need time to germinate and sprout. If you are starting from sod , be sure you do not overwater the lawn.

It is advised that you water your lawn deeply a few times a week to encourage deep root growth.

Watering lightly daily encourages the roots to stay close to the soil which makes your lawn more vulnerable to heat and in a time of a drought. Also, it is best to water early in the morning, and try not to water the lawn at night, or you may experience prolonged moisture which may cause disease.

Do not mow the lawn too short

Mowing a lawn too short actually causes the lawn to become unhealthy, and causes more maintenance in the long run. Mowing the lawn the day after watering helps your lawn heal.

Aerate your lawn in the Spring and Fall

Aeration, the process of penetrating small holes on the surface of your lawn, allows water, nutrients, and air access to the roots and also creates better draining to prevent runoff.

For the best results for a healthy green lawn, hire a landscaping professional who can guide you to the best grass and plan of care for your lawn. For landscaping near Franklin, MA, call Lola’s Landscape today!

Spring Yard Cleanup Checklist

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Spring is one of the most important times of year to make sure you are properly maintaining the health of your lawn. A spring cleanup is essential to setting yourself up for a beautiful outdoor living space once the nice weather is here! Whether you are attempting this yourself or hiring a professional landscaper to take care of your cleanup, here’s what you need to make sure you’re doing.

Removing Debris

There is always significant debris leftover from winter, whether or not there were a lot of storms. High winds cause branches, sticks, leaves, and other debris to pile up across your grass. Along with being unsightly, without removing the debris you will not be able to take any further steps to improve the health of your grass. Removing this debris reveals your grass underneath and leaves clear space for planting & mulching.

Dethatch

Spring is the time of year to dethatch your lawn. Detatching means removing the layer of weeds, dead grass, and roots that accumulate on the lawn’s surface throughout the year. Lawns should be dethatched at least once per year. Spring is a good time for this because following the dethatching, you can start planting!

Seeding & Planting

Spring is the time to plant the seeds for summer & fall! Go over your grass with fresh seed to have a luscious green lawn once the warm weather is here. Plant whatever you want to see bloom in your edges where you will place mulch.

Mulch & Edging

Mulch is like the finishing touch of your spring yard cleanup. Mulch comes in a variety of finishes, including dark, natural wood, and red stained. Keep in mind that more natural stains of mulch will best keep their color throughout the season.

Professional Spring Yard Cleanups

Although they are necessary and rewarding, spring cleanups are also arduous and overwhelming. Instead of taking the task on yourself, hiring a landscape professional will take the weight off your shoulders and ensure a job well done. Lola’s Landscape is happy to provide spring cleanups and more expert landscaping services to homes and businesses in Franklin, MA & beyond. To schedule your spring cleaning, please call us today at 774-248-4584!

Should I Get an Irrigation System?

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A well-watered lawn comes with a lot of benefits. It’s easy to picture an unhealthy lawn: crunchy, brown dead grass, patches of dirt visible, and ugly weeds visible throughout. A healthy, hydrated lawn, on the other hand, is much more pleasant. When you keep your lawn well-watered with an irrigation system, you get a springy, thick carpet of grass. This does everything from improving your home’s curb appeal to helping the environment. If you’re considering getting an irrigation system, consider these five benefits:

Increases Home Value

A well-hydrated lawn is a healthy lawn. A healthy lawn is a healthy boost to your property values. Curb appeal is a big part of the average value of a home, and a lush lawn makes any house more appealing. On top of that, an irrigation system increases your home equity. It’s an extra feature many homes don’t have, giving your house a value boost over others in the neighborhood. 

Saves Time for Homeowners

Watering your lawn by hand can take a significant chunk of time out of your day. The bigger your lawn, the more time it takes to water. By using an irrigation system instead, you get that time back. Especially during hot, dry summer months, an irrigation system can save you hours a week. That time can then be better spent enjoying your summer and your healthy lawn, instead of watering it. 

Uses Water Efficiently 

A lawn irrigation system today has a lot of technology involved. This technology is designed to make your irrigation system as efficient as possible. Your landscape professional will ensure that your custom irrigation system has sensors and timers built-in, so your lawn will always get the correct amount of water at the optimal time of day. Don’t worry about wasting water or potentially under-watering – your irrigation system will take care of that for you. 

Keeps Lawns Healthy

A poorly-watered lawn can easily fall prey to a number of pests. Weeds love to spring up in lawns that have thinned due to underwatering. On the other hand, mushrooms and mold are frequent problems in over-watered lawns. Keeping your lawn evenly and effectively watered prevents fungus or weeds from finding a place to call home. This helps your lawn stay healthy and beautiful, without extra work on your end. 

Helps the Environment

Compared to an unhealthy lawn, a well-maintained yard can actually help the environment. Grass absorbs many greenhouse gases in the process of growth. By improving the health of your lawn and eradicating dead patches and dirt, you’re helping to slow global warming just a bit. 

Installing an irrigation system may feel like a big decision, but don’t hesitate. Now is the time to book your irrigation system installation so that your lawn is fresh & green for the spring and summer. The sooner the system is installed, the sooner you’ll see results. If you are local to Franklin, MA, schedule your installation today with Lola’s Landscape so you can enjoy the benefits of a healthy lawn all summer long. 

Landscape Ideas to Enhance Curb Appeal

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Creating curb appeal for your home can add value to your home and also give you more of a relaxing place to come home to. Many people want the comfort of a great curb appeal, and this can be done with a relatively low budget. Professional landscaping services can help you to make your dreams of updating, increasing value, and giving you a relaxing home a reality.

What are landscape ideas to enhance curb appeal? Some of the best ways to improve the curb appeal of your home are done by professional service. These include manicure of shrubs and bushes, investment in a beautiful cement or another material walkway, and to update your entry space with paint, plants, and even a new patio or porch. This guide will list the best options for updating the curb appeal of your home.

Update Hardscapes

Stone and gravel walkways are a great way to update your curb appeal. Also, adding stone-walled outdoor kitchens and patio space can help to combine the beauty of the outdoor front space of your yard with the architecture of your house. Make sure to consult a professional about the options your area holds and consider the possibilities that will maximize that space.

Add Lighting

Lighting at the front door is crucial. No one wants to step up in the night to a dark doorway. Upgrading that light can add appeal from the curb. Also, lighting that goes throughout the yard and highlights some of the best features of the yard can give a park atmosphere to your yard and increase nighttime curb appeal. Finally, lighting up your walkway can help with safety and can be a selling point for people looking for a house with better access.

Refresh Mulch

Mulch and wood chips as landscaping are a great idea. However, mulch has a lifespan and can get old and even mold. Refresh the color and even smell of your yard. A refreshing aura of your yard will let people experience your upgrade upon visiting your home.

Lawn

Always keep your garden mowed and fertilized. This will keep it neat and green. Thick grass is very highly sought after in most neighborhoods and adds curb appeal immediately. Hiring a weekly landscaper to take care of your lawn is the best way to stay on top of your yard and not let it get out of control.

Hiring a landscaping professional can help you to imagine, create, and maintain your curb appeal in the front of your home. Reimagine the front of your home and update with things like hardscape projects and new mulch. Then, maintain your front with lawn care and mulch replacement occasionally. For help with refreshing your curb appeal, contact Lola’s Landscape today at (774) 248-4584.

What Does it Mean to Aerate Your Lawn?

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Aerating your lawn is an essential part of lawn care. Aerating should be done several times throughout the year and especially between seasons. This can be done yourself, but like most landscaping, it should be done consistently at regular intervals throughout the year. Hiring a professional lawn care service is the best way to ensure that the lawn is cared for in a way that keeps it healthy all year long.

What does it mean to aerate your lawn? Aerating your lawn provides nutrients to the roots. When you aerate, it means that you are giving your lawn oxygen and access to sources for fertilizer. Aerating is done by rolling hollow spikes across the lawn so that it creates small holes throughout the surface of your grass.

What Does Aerating Do?

Aerating is done to help your lawn get nutrients throughout the square footage of your grass. When you put holes in the grass, it allows the roots better access to oxygen and water. Also, if done with fertilizer, nutrients have direct access to the roots of your lawn.

Signs That You Need to Aerate Your Lawn

If you have dry or dead lawn places, it may be time to aerate. Aerating can bring your dying lawn back to life. Also, if the seasons are changing, this is a great time to aerate before extreme changes affect your grass.

How to Aerate

The most natural way to aerate is by hiring landscaping professionals who take care of your whole yard to aerate at intervals throughout the year. If you do it yourself, you will need a rolling aerator that has hollow spikes attached. Simply roll over your whole lawn with the device.

Hiring professionals to aerate your lawn makes a lot of sense. It can slip people’s minds and requires a large device that you only need once or twice a year. To schedule your lawn aeration with Lola’s Landscape, contact us today at (774) 248-4584.

How to Prepare Your Yard for Spring

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Sometimes it can feel like winter drags on forever, but a beautiful New England spring is right around the corner. Now is the time to get your yard & landscape ready for the warmer weather and make sure things bloom when they’re supposed to! Check out these tips from Lola’s Landscape and give us a call at 774-248-4584 for all of your landscaping needs this spring.

Eliminate Debris

Even if you had a great fall clean up this past year, there is certain to be some debris accumulated on your lawn from the winter weather. Before planting or fertilizing anything, you will want to get rid of any stray leaves, sticks, and branches lying around. If left on your lawn, debris will prevent the absorption of fertilizer and nutrients into the soil and can also damage your lawnmower.

Rake & Weed

The second phase of the spring clean up is raking & weeding over your lawn. Raking will pull out any dead grass taking up space on your lawn. If you do not pull up weeds by their root, they will only continue to grow & spread throughout where your grass should be. This will result in you regularly mowing over weeds and crabgrass in the nicer weather, instead of a healthy green lawn!

Seed & Fertilize

The next step to preparing your lawn for the warmer weather is to lay the foundation for growth. Sprinkle a layer of grass seed over your lawn to optimize grass growth for the spring, as well a layer of nutrient-dense fertilizer for grass & plant health. If you are looking to maximize grass growth, speak with a professional about the benefits of overseeding vs. slice seeding.

Add Mulch & Decor

The final step to perfecting your spring landscape design is to add mulch, seasonal bloomers, and other finishing touches to make your cleaned up space come alive! This is the step where you can incorporate your favorite flowers, shrubbery, and mulch preferences to create the lawn of your dreams.

Hiring a Landscape Professional

If you don’t have the time this spring for a full cleanup, seeding, and fertilizing, make it easier on yourself by hiring a landscaping professional. Your yard will be your oasis this spring and summer by letting Lola’s Landscape take care of it for you! Give us a call today at 774-248-4584 so we can add you to our spring schedule now!

Winter Landscaping Tips

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The most common thought when you hear “winter in New England”, is usually snowstorms, cold weather, ice, and bad commutes. However, at Lola’s Landscape, we know that a winter can still provide opportunities to take care of your lawn to help get your ready for a green Spring. In the random days in December, January, February, where the weather gets warmer and 30 degrees starts to feel like 60, take advantage of the break and do a few of these winter landscaping maintenance tips!

Clean Up Debris

During warming period in the winter is a perfect time to get a head start on your Spring cleaning of your yard. Many twigs and limbs will inevitably break and clutter your lawn during the Winter. Take care of it now and you will have a head start on the spring cleaning!

Trim Low Hanging Limbs & Bushes

This tip goes hand and hand with the prior one. During the winter the snow and ice will cause damage to your bushes and trees that line your property. Take some time during warmer days to find these sagging or snapped limps and take them down now.

Get Your Equipment Ready

This one kills two birds with one stone. Getting a little stir crazy during the winter? Experiencing cabin fever? Go out to your garage or shed and perform some T.L.C to your landscaping equipment. It will give you something to do during the winter and have you ready to hit the ground running in the Spring. While everyone else in the neighborhood is repairing their equipment, you’ll have a head stop to the best looking lawn in the neighborhood.

Hire a Professional

Hiring a professional is the best way to make sure your landscaping needs are taken care of this winter – and, as a matter of fact, all year round! Professional landscapers have the proper equipment on hand and they know how to use it to get the job done efficiently. For your landscape needs in the Norfolk, MA area, call Lola’s Landscape!